Quest Overseas - Gap Year Travel

With Icelandic volcanos behaving and cancelled flights now flying the Swaziland team have finally been able to get stuck into their project work in the Lubombo Conservancy reserves. We're assured an update from the team will be winging its way through cyberspace shortly so keep do your eyes peeled. At present the team are taking a game ranger and bush interpretation course, learning to understand the environment around them and identify different species of flora and fauna. Highly useful skills as they will then be working in Mbuluzi Game Reserve, clearing alien invasive plant species, conducting ongoing giraffe surveys and undertaking general maintenance work. Other parts of the project will involve passing on their new-found knowledge and experience during an environmental education week at local Primary schools in the Shewula area.

Update from the team and photos to follow!

Experience life in the African bush on next year's Swaziland Gap project and expedition.

Monday 12th

After an exhausting day of ice climbing and bellies full from the monstrosity of a pizza that Rob so kindly ordered, the gang were very much looking forward to tackling the world's most dangerous road on two wheels. As ever, an early start to the day followed by more pancakes for breakfast and an introduction to our biking guide for the day, Justin. a.k.a. Rob mark 2. After an hour or so ride to the top, we set off on the 5 hour ride down death road. As biking goes, it wasn't that strenuous seeing as 99% of the ride was down hill. However, a quick look over the edge focused the mind and nearly brought back the morning's pancakes for all to see. The highlight of the ride was probably when Rob fell off his bike whilst trying to show off his skills to Justin the guide. The ride was good fun though and we ended up in an animal reserve near Coroico at the bottom of the road.

EXPEDITION PART TWO
SUNDAY 4TH APRIL - SUNDAY 11TH APRIL, AREQUIPA TO LA PAZ, written by Alice Machin.

HAPPY HAPPY EASTER! Oh it was rather sad not be eating hot cross buns and missing out on the traditional Easter egg hunt. However, when we heard the bells of the cathedral ringing at 8 o clock we had a sudden urge to go to mass and leapt out of bed and ran all the way to to the Plaza. The cathedral was packed so we perched on some railings near the front. It was in true South American style, very unlike the conservative well organised mass in England, but the priest was passionate and it was enjoyable. The ususal happy verging clappy Catholic music! It lasted just over an hour after which we had a peaceful wander in the deserted cloisters before going back to the hostel to pack and have the last shower as we weren´t sure when we would be seeing another bathroom of that sort in the near future. The rest of the day was spent as we liked, pottering around the beautiful cobbled streets and buildings of Arequipa, which we were quite sorry to leave. After a delicious Mexican supper we boarded our night bus to Tacna at 10pm. I foolishly got rather excited at the prospect and thought of taking pyjamas and my sleeping bag. Alas, it was not such an excitement. It was a double decker affair, quite comfortable enough. We awoke in Tacna at 4.55am ahead of schedule.

Our next blog entry finds us having left the safe confines of Sucre and travelling cross country. Before we left our short lived home however, we managed to keep ourselves busy for the few days left.

Always keen to minimise our impact on the local environment (well, almost always), here is our team not blending in with their local surroundings on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Since a team in 2000 decided to trek the trail in tailor made suits, this has set a challenge to all Quest teams to raise the bar on the most outrageous outfits to grace the sacred city - the Incas would be so proud...